


Dawnlight at Dusk

by darkerwings



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Barebacking, Knotting, M/M, Riding, Soul Bond, Threesome - M/M/M, plus many other sexual acts but you get the idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-09 21:52:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15276957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkerwings/pseuds/darkerwings
Summary: “After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction…”A/B/O AU. Zayn leaves the band. Liam is dealing with it. Harry and Louis offer to help.





	Dawnlight at Dusk

**Author's Note:**

> This is over two years in the making! A little nugget of an idea that I started in my Google docs, and ended up rediscovering just recently. It’s been a little while since I last posted a fic, so I am very excited to get this up. Hope you enjoy!
> 
>  **Disclaimers** : 1. This is fiction, not meant to be taken as fact or any kind of presumption about reality. 2. Do not repost my work and do not translate it, [here](http://darkerwings.tumblr.com/translating) is why - I have reported (and gotten people kicked off) for stealing my work before. 3. Thank you so much for reading!

Liam’s a fairly patient man, really. He puts up with Niall’s requests to come out and play golf when it’s 101 degrees in Los Angeles, he listens to Harry go on about the benefits of feng shui while they’re on the road, and even joins in for Louis’ playful, and at times a bit sinister, pranks. He likes being the steady one, he understands it’s his role.

He does not, however, appreciate having his privacy compromised when he’s about to go into his rut. Right after a gig, no less. So, yeah, he’s wired with adrenaline and practically shaking with the need to get off.  

“Could smell her from the upper platform, poor girl.” Harry’s muffled voice says from outside the bus, Liam’s senses are on fire at the moment and he can hear him loud and clear. Liam has his bunk curtain pulled shut, and the covers wrapped tight around him to mask his scent, but he knows that especially if Harry, another alpha, so much as steps onto the bus it’ll be pointless. His hand that had been on his cock moves instead to grip his upper thigh in frustration.

“Yeah, but the girl she was with gave me definite alpha vibes, so I’m glad she had someone there to watch her back.” Louis’ voice follows Harry’s.  _Fuck_ , they’re supposed to be staying up in the hotel tonight because they’ve got tomorrow off for Liam’s rut. Liam’s supposed to be up in the hotel as well, but he ducked into the bus the first chance he got, not sure if he could make it. “That’s just the dedication level, an omega coming to our show so close to a heat? Insane.”

“Think I saw Niall go and check with two betas from security, though, asked them to keep an eye on her.” Harry says, opening the door and stepping onto the bus.

“Good, good.” Louis responds, and then it’s quiet. Liam closes his eyes and waits for the inevitable.

Liam’s breathing has gone shallow, and he can feel his nerve endings getting hotter by the second. He’s not going to be coherent for much longer, and where is Paddy? He’s supposed to be watching the bus while Liam sorts himself out. It’s all made even more difficult because Louis is here, and even though his scent has been muted to Liam ever since he and Harry bonded, it’s still making his fingers twitch.

“Liam?” Louis’ voice asks.

Liam takes a breath, or tries to anyway. All he can see is the padded material of his bunk walls, which are rich colors of cherry red. Or maybe that’s just his vision being affected. “Yeah.” He responds, and he hears the lower octave of his rut ring through it.

“Shit,” Louis says, at the same time Harry lets out an instinctive low growl in the back of his throat. It’s nothing but a muted rumble, but it’s to be expected given the situation. “We were just coming to get Harry’s gym bag, didn’t think you were due to start yet.”

“S’fine, new meds for my ruts and the energy at the show set it off, just,” he gasps, hand going back to his cock now because he’s so hard it fucking hurts. His voice rumbles through him. “You both just need to… get out of here, please.”

Louis says a hurried and quiet, “of course.”

Liam runs his thumb over the head of his cock and arches into it, feeling miserable.

Harry’s instinct to protect his mate seems to have calmed, because as he hurries out Liam hears him say, “Sorry, mate. Let us know if we can help at all.”

As the bus door hisses shut, Liam starts fucking into his fist, trying not to think too hard about if that was an offer for something real or not. 

~*~

It’s the next day, when he’s in a low point of his rut, sheets smelling like come and sweat getting tacky on his back that he decides to try and get it over with. He has to knot so his body will calm down and ease out of this state. He’s just started a new kind of high end suppressant, and his doctor assured him that he should only has to pop one knot before he’s able to sleep for a while and wake up feeling himself again.

He pulls his laptop out from under the bunk and heads to a site that he’s found reliable in the past. He cringes as he types out what he’s looking for in the search bar, and then cringes again at his own spelling but hits enter anyway.

Video results for _alpah omega 1st knottng_ come up quickly, and he checks through to see which ones have the highest approval ratings. His fingers begin to tremble a bit as he feels his cock begin to harden again, his body apparently ready for another go already after he just finished a round of three with himself. He clicks on one with a girl and boy in the picture, since it has a 97% thumbs up next to it, and bypasses the one below it that had originally caught his eye with a smaller boy riding another guy that only had 76%. He makes a mental bookmark, though.

It starts off fine, with the typical porn dynamic of the man being an alpha and the woman the omega. He’s more into the feeling of his own hand on his cock than the video until he hears the alpha murmur, “so wet,” like he’s in awe. The woman arches into his touch as his palms trace down her spine, pulling her flush against his dick. Liam’s jaw clenches, he would roll his eyes at their acting if he weren’t so close to being fully hard.

The alpha lines himself up and slides into her, and the camera angle stays focused on where they’re joined while they both adjust before cutting to the look on the woman’s face, which is one of pure contentment. Liam would’ve thought this was just a reenactment, a scene playing on what a first knotting is like, but judging by the look on her face she’s never felt this alpha’s cock before. Maybe she hadn’t felt anyone’s before this. Her pupils are blown wide and her frame is shaking from the feeling of being filled. Liam’s hand is working wonders on his own cock while it all races ahead.

The camera cuts to the alpha, whose thrown his head back with the feeling of it all as he slowly begins to pump his hips back and forth. He’s watched similar videos, usually using this kind of search to find porn for his ruts in the past because there’s a certain gentleness to first knotting that appeals to him more than watching the rougher videos. The man in the video curses as his hips begin to stutter forward.

“Are you ready?” He asks as the woman beneath him nods as best she can.

“Yes,” she gasps. The man leans forward to slot his fingers through hers as his knot plumps out inside of her, and Liam is speechless watching as her taut frame shakes with the feeling of it.

“Fuck,” Liam curses, fucking into his hand, he wants to be able to do that for someone. He wants to complete someone that well, wants to fuck them hard and slow and fill them up just right. He’s aching with it, the thought of it sending him over the edge. His knot expands against his palm, cock shooting as he moans through the shallow feeling of coming without something tight around his dick to milk him through it.

His body feels lighter, but his mind races around some unknown track, around and around again. Images flash behind his eyelids. Golden brown skin and tattoos of all shapes and colors. Raven black hair, buzzed short at the sides for summer. Sounds that seem to play on repeat, bouncing off the inside of his skull: moans howling like the wind, his own name whispered like a prayer. The lights all blur together, and his heartbeat is his only tether to the ground.

 ~*~

“Feeling better?” Is what Harry greets him with late the next day, after he emerges from the rut bus - as he’s decided it’s called, because it fucking reeks in there - for dinner and pints in a private area of the hotel’s penthouse restaurant. A portion of their crew has taken over the place, which is an odd sight. About a dozen bearded men with muscles built for hauling stage equipment all dotted around in different modern styled tables and high stools. It’s a chrome and sea blue decorated place, cool tones settling him a bit as he takes a seat at one of the high booths.

“Yeah, much better,” Liam nods. But if he’s honest, he’s still hung up on some of what’s been haunting him. He knows what it is that he needs to confront within himself. He isn’t ready for it, though.Despite his best efforts, something sad and dark creeps up his spine at the same time that a hot flash of arousal pulls at his gut.

Christ, they were so good together, the way Zayn used to crawl into his lap when he could tell Liam was getting hard, how he’d ride him right into the mattress. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head to himself. He’d had time to prepare for the idea of not having his best mate slash unbonded, lovely, willing omega around. He’s sure that Zayn is happier now. He must be.

“Gonna suck for the crew that has to clean out your stench from that rig, mate.” Niall says with a sniff, “could smell it from mine on the other side of the lot this morning.” He sets down the drinks he had picked up from the hotel bar, four beers and a water for Alberto. Which, speaking of.

“Where’s Louis at?” Liam asks.

“Went to call our doctor,” Harry tells him. Alberto is hovering by the entrance which must mean he isn’t too far off.

“Anything worrying you guys?” Liam can’t help but ask.

“No, no, nothing really,” Harry says, “just confirming a few things.”

He sounds like he wants to say more. He gives Liam an odd look, a once over, as he takes a swig from his bottle, but then shrugs nonchalantly, glancing down at his phone to look at something. As though there was nothing more to discuss, nothing underlying his words. Liam thinks he sees an order screen for a pair of bright yellow Vans. He’s about to ask about what Harry meant by that comment when Niall elbows him in the ribs, pointing up at a television the crew have set up that’s playing a rugby match. 

~*~

The Brussels show is electric, singing No Control and 18 live for the first time has them all feeling refreshed and alive. As he heads offstage, rushing to get to the bus so they can clear out, he catches sight of Louis pinning Harry in one of the short offside corridors near the stage. Ever since the two of them came out as a mated couple last year they’ve become a lot less preoccupied with being seen.

“Your solo tonight, baby, so good.” Harry’s saying, voice raspy as Liam sees Louis’ hands working frantically over the material of his simple black shirt. It’s a dark corridor under the stage, hidden just enough, but sure as hell not soundproof. Liam is frozen for some reason, can’t move from where his feet have glued themselves to the floor.

“Please, can we just,” Louis says, whispered tone carrying to Liam’s ears. “Can we just stay behind, need you to-” although some of the words are muffled. " _Harry_."

Harry kisses him quiet, hands moving up his back and back down to hold the arch of his spine.  Louis moans into the kiss, grinding against his thigh. Liam should move on, really, he shouldn’t spy on them like this. He’s just about to when Louis’ whimpered moan sends a flare of heat directly to his groin. Harry’s lower octave answering his. Liam knows that Harry’s rut is taking hold within the next two days, and they shouldn’t have Liam gawking at them when it’s so close. Or ever, really.

But then Louis’ eyes flash open mid kiss, landing directly on Liam. He maintains loaded eye contact as he reaches up to scratch over the ridges of his mate’s shoulder blades. Liam feels fire shoot down his limbs as his feet finally carry him away. He’d be embarrassed by the blush that’s stained across his entire face if he weren’t more preoccupied by the tension between his legs. 

~*~

Writing and recording the new album is a strange change of pace.

They find little nooks to set up their on-the-road studio. Hotel rooms, on the bus, at times singing into a voice recording on one of their phones to make a note of something that could work. Niall has been working on a few different guitar solo samples that he wants to try and work in. Harry has his journal of scattered lyrics, some he’s shared, others he hasn’t. Liam understands that though, they’re all stealing some things away. Protecting themselves. Liam works with Louis, combining lyrics with melodies, as they’ve grown to do over time. They work well together, and this go-around is no exception, despite some of the tension that’s been building. Now for example, they’re having a mid morning brainstorm meeting, and Harry and Niall have decided to join.

“I just really think we need one to follow what we have so far for What A Feeling, I don’t know, something,” Louis taps his pen against his thigh. “Something bittersweet.”

“Julian’s thinking about pulling from one of us specifically.” Niall chimes in, bottle of water and a cheese croissant in hand.

They’re lounging on a mixed batch of colorful recliners, it’s an odd little room they found when they first arrived at this stadium. Liam’s sitting forward in one with purple and yellow upholstery, Louis’ is brick red with stars embroidered into the cushions. Niall has spread himself out in a faded lime green one meant for two people, while Harry has taken to laying on his stomach on an orange floor cushion. Luckily enough, the cool air seems to love this room, and it’s right next door to craft services. The hustle and bustle of the tour crew can be heard outside.

“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” Louis says, a bit of a bite to the words.

Things are tense outside of just Liam’s dynamic with Harry and Louis and… whatever all that is. All four of them feel a weight on their shoulders with the timeframe the label has given them, and the pressure to have this be better and more authentic than ever before. All things considered.

“He thinks we should have one that’s obviously hinting at one of our personal lives, really punch in on the authentic angle. Give the fans a chance to feel like they’re in on it. Something related to, well, you know.” Niall takes a bite of his breakfast, not really looking anyone in the eye. Something feels off.

“Sounds like he has someone in mind.” Harry mutters.

“That’s not fair.” Louis drops his pen onto the table between them, a harsh clatter. “To gun for one of us, to expose something if he - if _we’re_ not ready.”

“Maybe not.” Niall says, “but it might help? To write about it, I mean.”

Liam looks down at his hands. Silence seeps over the four of them for a good, long moment. He knows they’re looking to him for an answer to the elephant in the room. Something seems to build inside of him, some kind of emotion that has no name. He hadn’t realized that his breathing had gone irregular, until he feels a hand on his knee.

“Li?” It’s Harry, looking up at him.

Liam looks at him, knows his own eyes are pleading.

“I’ll write it,” Louis says. Liam is already out of his seat. “I’ve got an idea for it, so I’ll let the team know. Don’t worry, Li.”

“Thanks,” Liam squeezes his hands together and nods, feeling shaky. He isn’t sure what he should be most thankful for. Instead of lingering, he heads for the door. “Gonna go get something to eat.”

He knows that the three of them watch him as he goes.

 ~*~

It’s a fan that asks him about it out of the blue on a Wednesday afternoon.

“Did Zayn leave because he mated with someone outside the band?” She asks, a small quake in her voice as she rushes over the words, but she keeps eye contact with him. He’d only stepped out of the hotel for a moment to meet a few fans and his sleepy mind was not prepared for this. A clouded yellow street lamp shades this small offshoot of a street in a hazy blur.

“Um,” he says dumbly.

“It’s just, well,” she stammers. “A lot of us always thought you two were together? Y’know like how... Harry and Louis are?”

Liam feels his pulse dance against the heat of his own skin, wanting to break free, wanting to run clear of his body. Memories are under the surface, waiting to be dredged up, waiting to send him into a tailspin all over again. He clenches his jaw and battles against them. Time heals all wounds, but there’s a voice in the back of his mind saying that it isn’t that easy, to leave it all behind. To forget the colors he and Zayn painted together. What they had was delicate, and when it broke apart Liam couldn’t help but try to pick up the broken pieces, glass cutting his hands and his heart. He had nearly bled out from it.

“Everything happens for a reason, babe.” Is what he tells her tightly, trying to convey some of what he’s feeling through his gaze.

He signs her tour shirt with a silver sharpie and takes a goofy picture with her, smile not quite reaching his eyes, giving her a squeeze before another fan works up the nerve to come to him. He flips a switch, tries not to dwell on it.

Shivering skin and rushed words haunt him when he lies awake hours later, though. The echo of a feather light kiss on his temple, a voice saying, “you’ll move on from me, Li, you’ve got to.”

He never said it aloud, but he knows he hasn’t. Could never.

Other moments, too. It was always one of their favorite things to sneak off in the early hours, their security reluctantly in tow, to find a breakfast spot. Liam has Zayn's list of favorite orders memorized. They'd share waffles with bananas and cinnamon, golden syrup sticky on their lips and fingers. A sweetness that's best shared. On slower mornings, they'd make instant oatmeal, Liam putting dried fruit in his, Zayn’s with just a splash of cream. They would sit in silence and tangle together, two young boys in love with life, with the feeling of having the world at their fingertips, at the awe filled look in each other’s eyes. They took their time, thinking to themselves _I can't believe I have this person to share all this with_.

He doesn’t know when exactly Zayn became disenchanted with it all. He does, however, remember the dozens of headlines that followed after the initial frenzy following Harry and Louis’ coming out had died down. All kinds of stories about how of course Zayn had not found a mate, that Liam was tied to some unknown woman, trying to uncover some deep reason for it all. The pressure mounted, and Zayn had cracked underneath it.

Another hour spent laying awake comes and goes. His mind swirls around first kisses and last kisses, wondering what goodbye means now and what it meant then.

A whisper in the velvet dusk, as the colors of sunset had bled away into the night sky, leaving a starless dark blanket above the two of them. No room for tenderness in between. The heat of sweat and sex had been cooling on the sheets beneath them. They’d been lying so still, still enough to hear heartbeats and listen to the sound of things shattering, breaking, ruined. Still enough to have never missed when Zayn had said, “you’re better than me, deserve better than me.”

Liam had blinked at the view out their window, unable to muster the words he had wanted to say. He knows now that his silence tore them apart just as much as Zayn’s words had. Zayn had pushed on.

“It’s official now,” he’d said with a shrug. “I cleared it with everyone. Gone from the tour for my heat, they’re afraid of what I’d say if they denied me. They’ll do some statement about how I’m resting, how I’ll come back.”

He knew that Zayn needed to go. But the sting of it was only magnified by the fact that Zayn would be experiencing his heat without Liam. It didn’t matter to Liam that they weren’t bonded, that they’d always told each other that they weren’t ready for that. Neither of them had ever spoken that simple string of three words to one another, because in so many ways they hadn’t needed to. They had both known. Zayn was his person. Who else could know him better? Could bring him comfort, keep him safe like Liam could?

“And then what?” Liam winces at the memory of his own voice. Utterly heartbroken, because he had known, even then.

“Then I don’t.” Zayn had finally moved, turning his back to Liam. Miles between them already. “I just don’t come back.”

Now he sleeps on his stomach with his fists clenched into the sheets, dreaming in shades of deep violet and crimson, of comets coming once every hundred years and then gone without a trace. Never truly seen, save for those lucky few that had looked up and to watch them go by.

~*~

“Always wondered if any of ‘em are betas,” Niall says from the other end of the couch. They’re watching American ESPN on the bus and there’s a commercial for Victoria’s Secret on.

“It’d be nice if they’d say so,” Louis responds from where he’s taking a beer out of the mini fridge. “So all the girls at home don’t think that you have to be an omega in order to be sexy.”

“Mm,” Harry nods as he makes grabby hands for the bottle of Naked juice Louis’s gotten out for him. Louis hands it to him with an endeared smile, as Harry takes a swig. He kisses Harry on the corner of his mouth where some of the juice has seeped from his lips.

“Omegas _are_ sexy, though,” Liam sighs, scratching at one of his tattoos. He has no idea why that came out of his mouth.

“Yes, thank you for that, Liam,” Louis quips.

“He was trying to say that you don’t have to be an omega in order to be sexy and to look and do the same stuff that those models do,” Harry clarifies for him in his dragging voice, even though Liam got it in the first place, just had some kind of mind lapse. Louis moves to sit in his mate’s lap and pinches his thigh, giving him a heavy gaze that Liam nearly misses. Harry seems to recognize something in Louis’ expression before following up his comment with, “rather like our pal Niall here.”

Niall spits some of his beer as he chokes on a laugh. “Leave me out of this triangle, boys.” And then he’s off to the toilet to put some water on the fresh stain on his chest. 

“What? You saying you’ve never felt sexy, Ni?” Louis calls, teasing. “You and those chicken legs of yours?”

“My legs are perfectly toned, thank you.”

“Triangle?” Liam says quietly, a bit lost.

Harry just shrugs, catching his gaze. Liam sees a hint of a dimple digging at his cheek.

“It’s a thing.” Louis says to Niall innocently before turning back to Liam and Harry. He takes the bottle of juice from Harry’s hands and finishes it off. Harry massages the meat of Louis’ outstretched legs, and Louis lets his head rest back on Harry’s shoulder. The two of them completely at ease while Liam sits somewhat dumbstruck, but also pleasantly charmed.  

“Sex fiends, all of you.” Niall says with a huff, looking between the three of them. He gets up to grab the remote off of the counter. “And my legs are wonderful, knees and all. So kindly,” he playfully points a finger at each of them individually, “fuck off.”

Liam’s looking between all of them, and his eyes fall on Harry. They share another look, and after a few seconds Louis raises an eyebrow. Harry lets out a giggle at Niall’s stance. Niall, seemingly pleased at getting the last word, nods smugly and turns to head up to the front of the bus, pulling the curtain closed behind him. As he goes Liam thinks he hears him mutter something along the lines of “fucking rut bus. Bloody beta bus, is what I need.”

Liam chuckles at that, feeling the tension ebb and flow. “What was that about?”

“Beats me,” Louis says with a shrug as he swings a leg over Harry’s thigh, effectively straddling him while still looking over his shoulder back at Liam. Liam feels a shiver run over his skin as he watches Louis settle into Harry’s embrace. His mind races ahead without his approval and he starts wondering what Louis would look like grinding down into Harry’s lap. What he’d sound like, whether he’d talk through it or not. He dwells on the image of what he might look like spread out on high thread count, all white sheets. His hair like a halo, his skin like a sunrise.

He breathes in, sees Harry watching him carefully. There’s an understanding there, and an absence of confrontation or anger that Liam had somewhat expected. Louis places a light kiss to his mate’s neck, eyes closed, and Harry smiles as he lifts up the hem of Louis’ shirt, showing off the dimples at the base of Louis’ spine, his eyes never leaving Liam’s. It’s a show, it’s for Liam to see. Louis visibly shudders a breath out, and Liam times his own exhale along with it.

That’s pretty much when he gets a clue.

~*~

“You wanna talk about it?” Niall asks one later that night, when they’re getting ready to go back out for the show’s encore.

Liam clears his throat, aiming for some kind of humor. “Which part?”

“The album,” Niall squeezes his shoulder, but then drops his hand away. “The fact that the AC is broken on two of the buses, any of it.”

“Not really,” he responds, knowing there are other subjects that go unsaid in that list.

“Okay.” Niall says. Liam knows his offer isn’t hollow. All three of the other boys know him inside and out, and it’d be embarrassing if it weren’t so sad that they know it all and also don’t know how to help him. They’re all adjusting to this new chapter, but they know that Liam has an extra weight to carry.

What can be done for a man whose heart doesn’t know if it is meant to break?

~*~

He goes to the gym with Mark and trains.

Once he’s in his flow, adrenaline pumping as he goes after it with boxing training, his mind throws the image of the look in Louis’ eyes that night backstage in South Africa at him. He taps out to take a breather, getting some water and trying to focus up.

He’s trying to be careful. He is. He knows that Harry and Louis know that he’s hurting, that he’s trying to heal. They know what he’s going through. He also knows that there’s a part of himself, a very alpha part, that would love to take Louis from behind. To knot him and hold him down while Louis fucks himself back on Liam’s cock. He knows there’s also a part of him that wants to suck Harry off, taste him, to watch Harry and Louis together. He wants to feel wanted and to feel connected to someone again. He just... wants. And from what he can tell, they’re willing.

He takes a deep breath, nodding at Mark that he’s ready again. He gets back in the ring, trying to clear his head and not dwell on it right now.

He’s knocked back after three swings.

~*~

They talk logistics when it’s least expected. The four of them are in their private green room after an early morning taped interview. Harry approaches him with a wild look in his eye, banana nut muffin in hand, a few crumbs stuck in the corner of his lips.They’ve got another interview in a half hour.

“So tell me Liam,” Harry begins, in his best hushed imitation of the interviewer they had just been sitting with. “When _was_ the last time you popped a knot?”

Liam snorts out a laugh, then brushes the crumbs from Harry’s lips with the pad of his thumb. Simply shaking his head in lieu of an answer.

Louis passes by them on his way to the catering table, pinching Liam on the side playfully as he goes. “Now that is a question I genuinely want the answer to.”

“Jesus,” Niall murmurs, walking off towards the restroom. “Too early. Too. Early.”

Louis circles back to them, with a donut in hand. He takes a bite, talking with his mouth full in a way that should be somewhat gross, but instead just looks kind of overwhelmingly cute.

“We’ve been doing this dance for far too long,” Louis states as he takes a seat on the plush sofa beside them. “Let’s cut to the chase already.”

Harry sits beside his mate and ducks into his space to steal a bite of his donut, ending up with cream filling dotting the tip of his nose. Liam has the urge to taste it.

Instead he continues standing there in front of them, and replies with, “dance?”

“My heat is coming up.” Louis sits up primly. “Which is no surprise, given that the entire list of need-to-know personal, including yourself, have been told about a week in advance as of yesterday.”

“We know something’s up with you,” Harry says gently. “Something bigger than just being rut related. We both want to help.”

There’s a pause, the air charged.

“I’m on Ruaxel,” Liam tells them, the information just kind of spilling from his mouth. “With Zayn my ruts were mostly controlled, but after… I started up on low dose suppressants to transition into a controlled cycle. I just switched to this new one before my last rut. So now they’re subdued and limited, but in the halfway points in between them I get, well not a full rut, but.”

“Right,” Harry nods in understanding. “That’s the emotionality of an Alpha. You need touch, need to feel needed.”

“What about,” Liam finally sits, kind of falling into a lounge chair as he begins to process that this might be some kind of new reality. “What about, I mean, you guys are mated.”

“If you’re wondering if Harry might get possessive, the answer is yes.” Louis looks him in the eye as he sucks an icing coated finger into his mouth to lick it clean. “But he’ll behave if he’s told to.”

Harry’s hand moves up Louis’ thigh, palm spread wide. Louis leans into him and Liam tracks every movement. Harry presses a kiss to Louis’ neck before looking back at him, “we’ve done this once before.”

“Zayn.” Is all Liam can manage to say.

“Mhm,” Louis affirms. “His first heat on our first tour.”

“I didn’t knot him.” Harry says, answering the question Liam had asked Zayn years ago, when they’d been snogging and overwhelmed and handsy. “It happened to be Louis’ heat, too. But even if it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have.”  

“I know,” Liam’s voice is an octave lower than needed. Neither Harry or Louis flinch. He clears his throat. “We, after that, was when he and I started. So we talked about it.”

“We’re coming up on a day where we’ll have the chance to have the on call doctor stop in for a check up.” Harry’s voice is even and light. “We trust you, and Louis and I are both clean, but our main rule is that everyone involved get tested and share their results.”

“It’s best for everyone.” Louis’ tone suggests more. Liam knows that to be true.

“That,” he tries to steady his words. “That won’t be a problem, I’ll make an appointment with her.”

“Good,” Louis smiles as Liam leans forward to take ahold of the cup of tea he’d left to cool on the coffee table earlier. “Like you said, you and Zayn went over some of how his time with us went. But this time, things are different. For example, you are of course an alpha,” his warm gaze follows the line of Liam’s chest down, down, down. “Not an omega.”

Liam’s dick twitches, responding to the heat of an omega’s attention on him, on what he can offer him. He takes a sip of his tea, feeling his skin flush with desire.

“And for another, you’ll be able to knot me.”

Liam quite literally does a spit take, warm tea spraying from his mouth and staining his white shirt beyond repair. “Christ,” he manages to breathe, cock hardening in his pants as he hold his shirt out away from his chest. Harry barks a laugh openly at that, Louis’ smile only growing.

“Our safeword is Kiwi.” Louis presses on as Liam presses his left hand down over the bulge growing in his pants. “My heat will set in and it usually takes about two days for Harry to take me through it, thanks to our bond. With you thrown into the mix? Maybe less, maybe more. It’s a fun little variable.”

He half stutters in response. “How is it I would be able to-”

“Knot him?” Harry cuts in. “Easy. We’re soul bonded.”

“Um,” Liam is sure his eyes are the size of saucers. “What?”

“We’re bonded quite strongly, that’s just what it’s called.” Harry explains. “At first it’s a normal mating bond but instead of plateauing, it just keeps growing. We’re connected in different ways than a normal mated pair is. Our doctor is a specialist and explained it in much more technical terms but, basically that’s why I can be so relaxed about you being with Lou.”

“Or why I was able to be alright with Harry being with Zayn. It’s actually a more common bond variant than people realize.” Louis adds.

“It’s also why we want to help. Because we can.” Harry’s voice is sincere, his and Louis’ fingers are intertwined and Louis’ thumb is tracing over the back of his palm. Small circles. “You shouldn’t have to be alone.”

~*~

Liam thinks about calling him, about telling him why this is hard. He wants to call and tell him that he can’t sleep at night. He thinks about telling him that the stress of the unknown and the changes at hand are messing with him in ways he couldn’t have predicted. He thinks about how he could never jump in with both feet to tell Zayn any of that, because he knows that Zayn needed the freedom to breathe, heal, and be himself. Away from the public eye, but also away from all of them. From Liam.

The recovery from that truth was and is difficult. He thinks about calling, and knows that it wouldn’t change a damn thing. But then, as if right on some kind of schedule, his phone rings.

“Hello?” He answers, not checking the caller ID as he slings a loose towel around his hips, just getting out of the shower.

“Hey, babes.” Zayn says, and Liam feels his stomach drop and a slow smile find a home on his lips. He has to hold the phone away from himself for a few seconds. Breathes in deeply, eyes closed for just a moment.

“Hi,” he says eventually, and it’s soft. In the silence between their words he realizes that somehow it isn’t pained. It’s remembering, longing.

“How,” Zayn takes a breath. “How’re you? How’re things?” Like it hasn’t been almost four weeks since they’ve last spoken. Like he’s here with Liam now. Like it’s all the same. Like there isn’t an earthquake beneath them both.

“Can’t complain. Tour’s going well still, fans are still screaming just as loud,” he doesn’t mean for that to cut, but he flinches at his own words. Zayn stays silent. “Working on the new stuff, too.”

It’s subtle, the silence, and he can hear the hum of the lights in the room. Focuses on the wet carpet under his toes, the watercolor painting hanging above the cherrywood desk across from him.

“Liam,” Zayn says his name, quiet. “That’s great.”

They both pause. Liam waits.

“But I meant with you, not with everyone else.”

He feels his eyebrows pinch together. “Well, I’m… good, too.”

The only sound that comes through the line is static noise, and he knows that if he was going to convince anyone that that statement were true, he’d need a lot more enthusiasm than that. Let alone Zayn, who knows him like worn leather, like Christmas Day, like four years and nervous breakdowns and fearing the future. Like the boy he used to kiss goodnight, until one day he had to kiss him goodbye. Like some scripted, shitty movie scene. Like some plot twist not meant to be real. He grits his teeth. It was Zayn’s choice, though.

“Saw your name in the papers.” Zayn says, finally.

“That’s why you’re calling, then?” Liam’s voice bite to it, and this time he means for it to be there. “Because you saw my face on the cover of The Sun?”

“Yeah, Liam, actually that’s exactly why.”

Liam sits on the edge of his hotel bed, something erratic buzzing under his skin. That’s it, then. _Really_.

“Well I hope they at least used a decent photo.” And he’s drawing the phone back to hang up when he hears Zayn call out.

“Liam, don’t hang up on me.” And it isn’t loud, but it’s an urgent tone and it stops him. Something instinctual calls out from within him, screaming that Zayn is still _his_. Worn leather, just like he’s always known.

“Is there something else you wanted?” He asks, even toned and quipped. There’s pain now, without a doubt. The softness from before tossed aside. “Because it’s great, you know, that you want to check in with me about the daily gossip, which you know is hardly ever even remotely true, but I need to get some rest.”

“They’re saying you’re different onstage.” Zayn says, voice shimmering like he can’t get the words he wants out.

“Of course I’m bloody different, got to sing most of your notes now don’t I?” His voice is hard and ugly.

“Would you just-” Zayn tries.

“But you wouldn't know about that, would you?” Something catches in his throat, something wet and sad and far overdue. “Must have been something you’ve thought about, though, wondered who picked up what when you left behind.”

“No, Liam.” Zayn’s voice has grown hard as well, but the more he says the more his sharp corners soften. “I’m calling because I know that something would really have to be getting to you if that’s all they have to say, because you could always flip that switch better than any of us.”

Liam waits for more. His wet hair drip down his neck, it’s getting long but he’s been meaning to cut it.

“I was worried, I am worried.” Zayn speaks into the silence. “It’s about more than just some bullshit article.”

Liam feels something stir in his chest, some bird with clipped wings. He presses his lips together tightly, nodding, then shaking his head. There’s a pressure behind his eyes. All he can say is the truth. “This hurts.”

“Fuck, Liam,” Zayn sighs, sounding exasperated, his voice breaks over Liam’s name.

“Why haven’t you called?” Liam knows he sounds pitiful.

“For probably the same reason you haven’t called _me_.” Liam’s chest hurts with how hard that hits him, the truth in it. “Because this is hard. Making this choice for myself was the hardest thing. Because most days it feels like it’d be easier to just forget. But that’s not… that’s not how we should do this. It’s not how we heal.”

Silence again, this time it’s tired. Liam lets it in. Feels the weariness he’s been shouldering, and crumbles.

“I miss you,” he tells him, throat tight as he fights a sob. He lets his head fall forward, too heavy, too much.

“I miss you, too.” Zayn admits on a breath. A beat, like he’s shaking his head. “We were easy, so we never knew it could be this hard.”

Liam swallows roughly, trying to shake his head free of that statement. “Can we just, I’m not,” he fidgets with his hands for a beat, “I’m not ready to talk about it.”

“About us?” Zayn says it point blank, in such a way that Liam can’t read it.

“Yeah. No.” Zayn ended it. Zayn left. But, Liam didn’t follow him. “Not yet.”

The air conditioning kicks in, and Liam can hear the faint sound of cool air being blown into the room. They could end the call here. Another goodbye. His shower hot skin is rapidly cooling, and he shivers a bit.

“How are the others?” Zayn asks.

“Well, Niall's just dodged a cold,” and sure, why not go there? “Lou and Harry have been acting odd lately.”

“Oh, I know,” Zayn says and there’s a quiet smile to it. “Niall’s kept me in the loop.”

“And?”

“Not too many details, just that there’s something brewing.” Zayn huffs a small breath that sounds like it could be a laugh. “Something like that time I had with them years ago.”

Liam fidgets. “What do you think of it, then?”

A noise sounds from Zayn’s end, sounding like a chair scraping against the floor. Liam wonders if he’s back at his old apartment in London, or if he’s taken the time to move somewhere new.

“Seems like they both really want you, want to help you.” Zayn says, to the point. “Your halfway point between ruts is coming up, yeah? So of course your hormones are acting up. Can hear it in your voice.”

Liam’s fingers shake. So he remembers, and is keeping tabs on where Liam is at in his cycle. He’s not sure what to say. His stomach stirs hot at the thought of what Zayn’s saying. Liam huffs a breath. “I um, I dunno, we’ve talked about it, but,” He swallows. Despite Zayn being gone, despite what’s been torn apart, this is still his best friend. “I think I just…”

“Yeah,” Zayn fills in, sounding like he knows where Liam is going. Like he said, he can hear it all in Liam’s voice.

“Are you, I mean,” he doesn’t know how to navigate this, or what it all means for their dynamic. “You and I, should I step back from it?”

“No.” Zayn’s answer is certain. “I’m not there, and the way we... No. I need time, and so do you. Do what feels right, what makes you feel alright. I’ll um, I’ll do the same.”

Liam expects something ugly to rear up inside him at those words. Something dark does cloud over him, but with where they stand he just can’t give it any merit.

“Okay,” Liam’s throat feels tight. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I am.” Liam’s eyes drift shut. “Really, Li.”

“I’ll call you when I’m ready.” Liam feels sure of it, confident. “To talk about us.”

“Okay.” He can almost hear a smile in Zayn’s voice when he says, “I’d like that.”

It isn’t how it used to be, but for now it’s okay. It’s alright. They just need time.

~*~

It’s the night before their three day break begins. Niall’s flying home for a relative’s birthday party and to visit a girl he’s been seeing. Harry and Louis are a floor above him in a suite. And Liam? He had facetimed his family this morning, and had received his clinical results after lunch. Just in time to send it off, and receive two matching reports that gave them the green light. Now he’s laid back on his hotel bed, feeling the effects of his mini rut creeping in, biting down on the knuckle of his thumb as he texts his, Louis, and Harry’s group chat.

Louis replies with the peach emoji. Liam waits, his skin prickling as the three dots show that he’s typing something else. Then a naked picture of Louis comes through. It’s a mirror selfie, he’s turned to the side with his waist on display, slightly bent over and palming his own ass, bathroom lights bright on his tanned skin. The text accompanying it simply reads _Getting ready_ Liam rolls over onto his stomach, grinding his hips into the bed with a pitiful moan.

Seconds later when another picture comes through, it’s from Harry. It’s darker, showing Harry from the waist down as he’s laid out on his and Louis’ bed, he’s wearing Calvin Kleins with the head of his cock poking out the top by the waistband, his left hand cupping himself through the material. In the background of the picture Liam can see Louis in their bathroom, taking the picture that he had just previously received. Harry’s text says _Come over in 5 mate, Lou smells amazing._

Liam swallows thickly, mouth watering. He wonders what Harry tastes like. His hips continue to thrust against the duvet, seeking some relief as he waits for what feels like a small eternity.

~*~

Liam knocks softly, and receives the response of “it’s open” from a deeper voice inside.

A few of the things that register off that bat are that the lights are dimmed, and that Harry has lit some of his candles throughout the space. Those are secondary, of course, to the smell that immediately hits him upon entering. A dark floral scent with a note of sweet honey. That’s Louis, without a doubt. Underneath the overpowering smell of oncoming heat, there’s Harry’s scent of winter pine and spearmint.

“You can lock the door behind you, please.” Louis’ voice sounds from around a corner, breathy and slightly broken. Liam’s limbs go a bit pleasantly numb.

Harry and Louis’ suite is laid out with the door leading into a short hallway, which opens up into a sitting area with a balcony attached to the far side. The bedroom is off to the right, the bathroom to the left. It’s spacious but secure. Liam had passed their security on the way over when he’d gone through the stairwell. Every precaution has been taken to make sure everyone feels safe.

Be that as it may, all that Liam can feel at the moment is that his feet are carrying him swiftly toward the wet noises coming from the right hand doorway off of the suite’s main area. As he rounds the corner, he quite nearly falls to his knees.

Louis is on all fours at the foot of the bed, hips high and back arched, Harry is on his knees behind him, hands gripped onto Louis’ hips, with his eyes closed as he licks into him. Now that he’s in the room with them he’s hit with the full effect of the scent of Louis’ slick, sweet and strong and pulling him in. From this angle Liam can see Harry’s cock is completely hard, curved toward his stomach and glistening a bit at the head in the candlelight.

“Hi,” Louis squeaks, his voice pinching off into a whimper. Harry moans between his cheeks behind him, Louis’ fists tighten on the sheets he has gripped onto as he shudders. Liam feels like he’s gone from 60 to 120 in nothing flat. He slips a hand underneath his sweats to take ahold of himself, already more than half hard. He can hear his blood beginning to race in his ears.

“Hi,” Liam breathes back. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Louis breathes, as both a response to Liam and to Harry. “Get your - ah - kit off. And, _mmmpf_ , get over here.”

Liam does as he’s told, kicking his shoes to the side and stepping out of his sweats, not wearing any pants underneath. He pulls his shirt off, Louis already reaching for him. Liam moves exactly where Louis wants him.

“This still alright with the both of you?” He asks, wanting to be certain.

Harry moans his confirmation, and nodding into the crease of Louis’ ass, his cheeks wet with Louis’ slick. Louis’ answer is more verbal.

“Of course. Mm, look at you,” Louis whispers, drinking him in and tracing the line of his cock with his eyes. He begins to suck each of the fingers on his right hand until they glisten. “You’re so thick. I can’t fucking wait.”

Louis stares up at him as he flushes at his words, licking his lips, eyes shining. His left hand grips Liam’s hip. Liam’s cock twitches, wanting, needing. Louis’ lips are shining and _god_ if Liam can’t wait to have Louis taste him, take him. Louis takes Liam’s cock into a loose grip, tracing a light touch up and down the shaft. Liam unknowingly holds his breath as Louis tucks in, kisses at the base, his hand squeezing Liam’s hip tightly, pulling him closer still. Then, he licks a fat stripe up from base to tip, suckling at the head, and that? That’s fucking brilliant.

“Oh hell, Lou,” he moans as Louis goes to work, his hands instinctively find their way, one tangling in Louis’ hair, the other cupping his jaw.

He’s fully hard now as Louis works his mouth over him, the heavy thrum of being with an omega again pulsing through his body. His inner alpha knows that this omega is taken, mated, there’s nothing rearing up pushing him towards that. But he can smell the heady scent of heat, Louis is not quite gone yet, but they’ll be reaching the tipping point very soon. Liam feels a growl simmer in the back of his throat, Louis responds with a whimper, and Liam can see him shudder in response to him. Liam’s cock twitches in Louis’ mouth as he meets Harry’s eyes where they’re looking right at him over the swell of Louis’ ass. There’s heat there, but it doesn’t appear hostile in any way. Louis keens loudly as Liam watches Harry begin to finger him open.

“Yeah,” Liam moans as Louis takes him deeper. His eyes roll back, and he can hear the sounds the three of them are making, Louis sucking him down, Harry licking into Louis around his fingers, all three of them moaning at different times. Zayn used to tell him he had a rut mouth, that he’d talk dirtier under the spell of instincts. Now, with his alpha nature flaring up, is not exception. “Bet you’re so wet, aren’t you? So much slick, can’t wait to get fucked.”

Louis’ his spit-slick hand cups Liam’s balls, and Liam’s hips stutter forward, causing Louis to slightly gag. Liam’s hand moves to stroke his cheek, he looks down to check in. Louis simply looks back at him before squeezing his hip, reaching a hand up to place it on top of the Liam’s that’s holding him by the hair. Louis holds their eye contact, his eyes getting more and more glassy, and deepthroats him.

“Fuck, you take me so well. You’re amazing at that,” he looks to Harry. “He’s, mm, he’s amazing.”

Liam can see Harry add another finger, Louis swearing under his breath as he comes up for air before going back down.

“Tastes amazing, too.” Harry speaks for the first time since Liam arrived. “Feels amazing.”

Louis’ fingernails scratch down the outside of Liam’s thigh, demanding his attention. He intertwines their fingers where he’s placed his hand over Liam’s, and bobs his head, telling Liam to fuck his mouth. Liam’s doesn’t waste much time. His inner alpha is begging for him to fuck in, to take with complete abandon. He fights it, and starts off with a few shallow thrusts. Louis twists his tongue around his shaft, tirelessly sucking him down, using his free hand to wrap around what he can’t quite take. Liam slowly gains momentum, fucks deeper, faster. Louis moans around him, his hips fucking themselves back onto Harry’s tongue and fingers.

“Getting,” Liam’s fast breaths race past his lips into the thick air of the room. “Close.”

There’s no let up at Liam’s warning. Harry is pumping his fingers into Louis faster now, almost timing it with Liam’s thrusts. Liam’s focus, however, is bleeding out. All he can sense is how tight Louis’ mouth is on him as he hits the back of his throat, the beginnings of a knot growing where Louis’ fist is clenched over his base. He’s climbing, higher and higher.

Louis’ mouth pops off of him, Liam’s cock sliding to the side over his cheek mid-thrust. Louis’ hands quickly move to double fist him, stroking him at a comparable pace, but he hears him beg, “ _please_.”

“Yeah,” Harry responds. He sees Harry sit up from his hunched position, shifting up the bed backwards on his knees, taking Louis by the hip and making him follow. One of Louis’ hands reaches up, smoothing over the taut muscle of Liam’s abdomen, up his chest. Liam leans down, kneels on the end of the bed and follows him, walking up the bed on his knees with his cock swinging heavily in front of him. Harry sits behind Louis, plastered to his back, still fingering him open and kissing up his neck, his free hand brushing over one of Louis’ nipples.

Louis guides Liam so that they are face to face, Liam can see now that his eyes are blown out, his skin shivering, scent overwhelming. He smells amazing, and Liam’s mouth has been watering since he stepped foot in the suite. Both of Liam’s hands smooth over either side of Louis’ waist, mesmerized. His heat is setting in, and he needs to be fucked. One of Louis’ hands continues to work over Liam’s cock, he ghosts his lips down over Liam’s jaw to his neck to lick over his pulse there. Liam can do nothing but rub circles into Louis’ sides with his thumbs and watch as Harry takes ahold of himself at the base of his cock, pushing forward and entering his mate. Louis gasps against Liam’s neck, the sound ending in a high mewl, Harry sliding all the way into him. Liam can only imagine how good the both of them must be feeling right now. Harry begins to pump his hips in and out, biting his lip at the feeling of being taken by his omega, moaning deeply.

“Harry,” Louis sighs, the feeling of being filled both calming and overwhelming him. Louis turns his head back to his mate, asking for his lips.

“Yeah, baby,” Harry says into their kiss. “Gonna take care of you.”

“Yours.” Louis’ voice, although barely audible, conveys so much trust.

Harry fucks into him harder in response. Liam can see the ripples of pleasure washing over him, can feel a wave of _that could be - should be me_ wash over him. Louis shudders, breaking their kiss as he arches his back, Harry getting in him deep. He somehow manages to catch Liam’s expression.

“Don’t worry,” Louis says, voice saturated with the effects of his heat. “You’re next.”

Liam almost comes from that comment alone. He’s still completely hard, his cock curved upwards and leaking from the head. He sees Louis looking down at it, licking his lips. He watches Louis watch him, taking himself in his hand and working himself slowly. Louis’ own cock looks neglected, hard and bouncing with Harry’s thrusts.

“You’re quite thick yourself.” Liam tells him, “so pretty.”

Louis bites his lip, unable to answer as Harry hits his spot, gasping into a moan. Harry has one hand on Louis’ hip, the other is woven up under Louis’ arm and across his chest, supporting him, holding him up. Liam smooths his hands down from Louis’ side to take ahold of his thighs, thumbs stroking over his inner thighs where he’s so, so sensitive.

“So lucky I get to be here with you, you’re so beautiful in your heat, smell so good.” He bends down, down, down to nuzzle in beside Louis’ cock. He tries to time his movements with the rhythm of Harry’s thrusts, the sound of Harry’s hips against Louis’ ass turning him on and keeping him hard. He thumbs over the head of his own cock, moves his head back as he licks a thick stripe up Louis’ dick before sucking him down. He can smell Louis’ scent shift. He’s getting what he needs.

“Harry, please,” Louis moans, voice broken. “So close.”

Liam’s cock leaks at that, hearing how gone he is. He sucks him deep.

“Love you,” Harry grunts, driving himself in. “So much.”

“Bite me,” Louis’ begging voice is so pretty. Liam grips harder onto his thighs and grinds his hips down into the mattress. “Please, _Harry_.”

Liam pulls off of Louis’ cock, needs to see this. He continues jerking both himself and Louis, watching a bit dumb-struck as Louis grips onto Harry’s arms. Harry tilts his head just slightly to the left, teeth ghosting over the tender skin of Louis’ neck. It drives Louis wild, the tease of it. Liam can see it on both of their faces as Harry’s knot swells and locks inside of Louis, just as he sinks his teeth in to shallowly bite his mate over their bonding mark. Harry’s eyes close as bliss overtakes his features, continuing to fuck in as much as he can. Liam is seeing their bond in action, and it’s stunning. Louis breaths grow rapid as Liam feels him twitch in his hand. He ducks in again just in time to suckle over the head, drinking him down as he comes into his mouth, hips stuttering forward. Liam’s so fucking close to coming, just about to chase after it full on, until he hears Harry’s voice.

“Don’t come yet,” he says, and his tone is right on par with that of an alpha around, or rather inside of, an omega in heat. Commanding and deep. Liam’s lips snarls a bit in response, instinct driving him to object.

“What did I say?” He hears Louis say, voice breathy and sex-drunk, on a brief come down. Liam’s eyes dart to his immediately.

Harry finishes his sentence for him, finally releasing his mouth from his mate’s neck with a slurp. Liam knows he must still coming inside of Louis. “You’re next.”

Liam huffs out a harsh breath. How could he have forgotten? Looking at the ecstasy painted over Harry’s face, his hips roll against the bed, wanting to touch and taste and fuck. To feel what he’s feeling.

“Up,” Louis pleads, watching Liam’s hips hump into the bed sheets.

Liam reluctantly follows his order, moving up to kneel in front of him. Louis takes Liam’s aching, pained cock in his hand.

“You’ve been so hard for so long,” he murmurs, kissing lightly underneath the hinge of Liam’s jaw. An omega in heat as pretty as he is, with a voice like that is a dangerous reality. “Haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Liam breathes. His eyes linger on the tender spot on Louis’ neck, he can see a bruise beginning to bloom around Harry’s teeth marks already.

“Want to be inside me so badly,” Louis sucks a hard bruise. “Don’t you?”

Liam and Harry meet eyes over Louis’ shoulder. Harry’s hips have slowed, and reaches around his mate to take Liam’s hand, places it at the top of Louis’ entrance to feel where the two of them are locked together. He can feel that they are still tied, but slowly Harry’s large knot is going down.

“Yes.” Is all he can manage. Yes, fuck, he wants that.

“So good at fucking my mouth, at sucking me. Mm,” Louis compliments him, his statement ends in a soft noise as Harry pulls out of him. The satisfied sense of calm that had settled over him earlier already beginning to recede. One knot just isn’t enough, it’s a true onset of heat and he needs to be fucked again. Louis pulls back to look up into his eyes, long lashes sweeping against his high cheekbones. “Got me so wet and hard.”

“You’re hard again now,” Liam tells him, stroking over Louis’ shaft. He’s already rebounded from Harry knotting him, the scent of another alpha most likely making him even more needy than he normally would be in heat. Louis bites his lip walks closer to him on his knees. Liam sees Harry out of the corner of his eye, leaning back against the headboard, watching them with a sated expression.

“Want you,” Louis tells him, their faces so close together. Just a whisper between them.

Louis’ palms caress the outside of Liam’s upper arms, sliding up to rest on top of his shoulders. Liam’s is transfixed by the dip of his waist, his own hands roaming over him. He lets his fingertips linger over his nipples, Harry having just shown him that Louis likes that. Liam’s a quick learner. Louis gasps quietly before pushing him back. Liam goes, rocking himself backwards to sit back onto the bed. His back to the suite’s sitting room, his front facing the head of the bed and where Harry sits observing them with a warm gaze. He spreads his thighs wider, cock heavy and wet between his legs. Louis climbs into his lap, knees bracketing him and settling them flush to one another. Having him this close, smelling the way he does, body so pliant and responsive, it’s intoxicating.  Louis’ fingers trace over the knuckles of Liam’s right hand, guiding it behind him to rest Liam’s palm over the crease of his ass.

Liam follows his lead and spreads his palm wide, his other palm gripping the meat of Louis’ other ass cheek. Now that he has Louis here in his arms, spread open and desperate, he can feel his rut mentality begin to take a firm hold. This is an omega in heat, he needs an alpha, a knot, and Liam can give that to him. His fingers trace down his crack with two fingers, dipping into the tight ring of muscle that is dripping with Louis’ slick and Harry’s come. His hole clenches around Liam’s fingers, needing more.

“Look incredible, Lou,” Harry’s voice is quiet and gruff, but it carries a heavy weight. Liam is holding, touching, and about to fuck his mate. He fights his inner alpha for a good few moments before he tears his gaze away from the image of Louis’ hole begging to be fucked. He aims to meet Harry’s eyes and check in, but Harry is zeroed in on Louis’ clenching hole, too. He’s begun touching himself, his cock not quite as thick as Liam’s but definitely longer, and it’s still wet from Louis’ slick.

Liam fingers into Louis while breathing shallowly into his ear. “So fucking wet. Need more, though.” He speaks the words against the column of Louis’ throat, voice deep with the effects of Louis’ heat. “Don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Louis responds, voice high and hole fluttering around him at his words. Liam adds a third finger as a reward.

“What do you want?” Liam draws it out.

Louis whimpers, shaky but determined as he impatiently takes ahold of Liam’s leaking cock, clenching tightly around his fingers before Liam pulls them out. Louis sinks down on him with a steady pace, and Liam’s eyes roll back as he lets out a low growl of pleasure. Louis collapses forward into him, still lowering himself. Liam grips both of his cheeks and pulls them away from each other, stretching his entrance wider to make it easier for him, and giving Harry quite the show in the process.

Once Louis has sunk all the way down onto him he begins to move. At first he simply swivels his hips in small circles, warming up, but once he’s gained momentum he begins to fuck himself down onto Liam’s cock in earnest. His head is tipped back with the feeling of being filled, stretched, taken. Later on Liam knows from experience with Zayn that he’ll be too tired, too fucked out to ride either he or Harry like this, so he lets him chase it on his own and drinks him in.

“So fucking thick,” Louis moans, in the reedy tone of happily fucked omega. His eyes closed as pleasure racks through his body. His words are almost drowned out by the wet slaps that fill the room as his slick hole takes Liam’s cock again and again.

“Perfect little body,” Liam moans deeply. In this situation, with the consent and enthusiasm both Harry and Louis have expressed, he allows his instinct to take over. If he weren’t so turned on and focused on not coming too quickly after waiting so long, he might shudder at the octave of his own voice.  

“Give it to me,” Louis begs.

Liam leans back and smooths his hands up Louis’ sides to guide him, bring him with him. Liam lays back on the bed and Louis curls on top of his chest while Liam bends his knees to get some leverage, grips both of Louis’ ass cheeks, then starts pumping up into him. He can feel Louis’ cock slide between the two of them, leaking but also surrounded by their wet, rolling bodies. At this angle he can almost see where he’s entering Louis, and he can definitely see Harry, who is biting into his own hand as he fucks up into his fist. Liam can see a knot swelling at the base of his dick. Liam loses track of Harry after that, though, because Louis rolls his hips down and scratches over Liam’s chest hard enough to leave pronounced red lines over his pecs.

“Feel so good, Lou.” He tells him. “Amazing.”

“Mm, please,” Louis’ voice breaks at the end as Liam pounds up into him, fucking up with a steady one, two, three, rhythm before holding himself deep inside of him. He can feel his knot growing, knows it’s driving Louis wild.

“Please what,” he growls. He wants to hear him say it.

“Please.” Louis’ voice is shot. “ _Knot me_.”

Liam’s back arches off the bed as he chases it for the both of them, slamming into Louis’ prostate while Louis’ hole clenches tight around him, his body continuing to beg, even if Louis himself can’t verbalize it. Liam pushes himself past Louis’ rim as his knot swells to full size, tying them together. Louis entire body shivers as he comes, Liam can feel his cock shoot off where it’s trapped between their two abdomens. His walls welcome Liam in while Liam’s hips continue to pump up into him. He spills inside of Louis, filling him up, hands kneading into the meat of Louis’ ass, fingers tracing over his entrance to feel where his knot is swollen inside of him. He can feel it pulse as he continues to fuck into him as much he can, coming inside of him as much as possible.

As Liam’s hands continue to roam over Louis’ shivering body, he catches a motion out of the corner of his eye. Harry has tipped his head back against the headboard, one hand still holding his softening cock, ribbons of white painted across his stomach and chest, his hair wild and curling even more at the sweat on his temples. The three of them breathe at different tempos, each a different song that make up a small piece of their own private concert. There’s music here, Liam thinks, enough to drown everything else out.

~*~

Round four finds Liam taking Harry’s cock deep into his throat, sucking him slow and tight as Louis comes down from his most recent orgasm. He lazes about on his side, giving himself a panoramic view. Harry lays on his back, eyes closed as Liam’s mouth brings him steadily higher. Liam takes his dick into his mouth like he’s begging Harry to give him something to swallow.

The room is covered in muted light, the sun having just set. The sheets are mussed and reek of the three of them. Louis can’t help but inhale deeply as he reaches behind himself to tease at his hole, fingers wet with slick and come. He licks his lips, dipping two fingers in, ready for more.

~*~

They’re coming down from what must be round seven or so. Louis is sleeping between he and Harry, curled up facing Harry, who is gently stroking over Louis’ forearm. Liam’s eyelids are heavy but Harry seems to still be quite alert.

“Guess I’m,” Liam has to pause for a yawn. “A little out of practice.”

Harry chuckles softly, looking down at Louis’ sleeping face. His voice is gravelly but strong when he speaks. “Looks like you’ve calmed, though. I can see it in your face.”

“Yeah,” he smiles, eyes roaming over both Harry and Louis’ naked bodies before rolling to lay on his back. “Yeah, that’s just it, I feel… calmer.”

“A good fuck can do that,” Harry says smugly.

Liam laughs at that, trying to keep it quiet to let Louis go on sleeping. “Or several.”

Harry smiles back at him, looks back down at his mate, smoothing a few pieces of hair away from Louis’ face.

“What was it like… when you two bonded?” Liam asks.

Harry’s gaze looks to him again, his eyes are unfocused, though. He seems to be lost in the memory.

“It was, it’s hard to describe.” Harry’s slower speech pattern sets in. “But, kind of like an out of body experience? We’ve both said that when I bit into him for the first time it was like we could see ourselves from above. We could hear different things we had said to each other before, like when we first met, when we first said I love you. Which,” he smiles. “Had been just earlier that same night. Or different songs we related to one another. It was all-encompassing. The best moment of my life.”

Liam nods, looking between the two of them, then breaks eye contact to stare at the ceiling. He’s heard different accounts of what it’s like, to bond with someone, and he’s always wondered what it’d be like for him. For a very long time, and even now despite everything, he still has one person in mind he pictures being with him in that mental scene.

“Give it time,” Harry reassure him, eyes flickering over his features knowingly. “I think, well, it happens the way it’s meant to. I know it must be hard, to wait, but from I’ve seen I think it’ll just take time for you two.”

Liam swallows, processing. “I know.”

Harry gives him a nod, refocusing while he drags his knuckles lightly over the curve of Louis’ waist. “He’s hard again, about to wake up.”

“Wet, too.” Liam says, eying the slick that’s glistening between Louis’ cheeks.

Louis wakes with a small groan, eyes blinking slowly. Liam can feel the warmth radiating off of him, but despite that he sees Louis shiver.

“Hi, baby,” Harry says softly, eyes darkening.

Louis is moving already, movements slow and small noises coming from his throat. He climbs onto Harry’s lap, searching for his mouth and kissing him a bit desperately, hips making small circular motions. Harry takes their two cocks in hand and begins pulling them off together. Louis hisses with a kind of pleasure that Liam is in awe of. Louis breaks his and Harry’s kiss to look over his shoulder, his eyes like half moons, heavy with the night and a kind of light that Liam wouldn’t recognize in the day. Like the tide, dragging him out sea. That’s all it takes for whatever part of Liam’s inner alpha that wants to be in a rut to growl back to life.

Liam takes his hand, cock hardening rapidly, absolutely wide awake again. He doesn’t have to be pulled up, simply rises and goes to him as though pulled by some invisible cord. Louis turns his head back to Harry, the two of them kiss slow and sensual. It’s hypnotizing. He finds himself draped over Louis’ back, kissing and sucking wetly into the crook of his neck, his hands pushing Louis’ cheeks together as his cock fucks up between them. He’s so, so slick. Liam can feel his hole pulsing, gaping, asking for him to enter as he drags against it.

“Fuck me,” Louis breathes, eyes flickering closed, head tipping back onto Liam’s shoulder.

Liam doesn’t even have to grip himself and get into position, the head of his cock catches on Louis’ rim and pushes forward, jaw dropping open as he feels Louis’ walls take hold around him. There’s no better feeling. His hands grip onto Louis’ hips, a bit tighter than needed perhaps, as he starts to pump into him.

“Fuck yeah,” he moans into Louis’ ear, voice an octave lower. Full alpha. “You feel so fucking good.”

“Give it to him, Li.” Harry growls, he can hear Harry’s hand working over his and Louis’ cocks, “he needs it.”

Louis fucks his hips back as if to say _yes, please_. Liam forgoes any further hesitation, fucking in deep and fast, holding his hips flush to Louis’ ass so that the insides of his thighs bracket him. Keep him in. Keep him safe. He rides into him, cock aimed right for his prostate and hitting it relentlessly. Louis starts to let breathy little _yeah, yeah, yeah_ ’s that make Liam’s knot begin to form.

Louis’ hands are manic, not able to find a purchase until he arches back, completely putting all of his weight back onto Liam as he fucks himself back onto his cock in time with his thrusts. One hand grips back onto Liam’s neck, the other in his hair. He can’t begin to imagine the image they make, he guesses that Harry has quite the view. Liam knows from their past rounds that he’s getting close, and he absolutely gives it to him, humping in and chasing it for the both of them.

“Alpha,” Louis moans, his voice begging. And fuck, that makes Liam fuck into him hard, loves that this omega needs what only he can give him right now. “ _Please_.”

“Know you want it,” the timbre of his voice makes Louis’ hips stutter. “Want me to fill you up?”

" _Need it_.” Louis responds, cutting in, desperate.

“Fuck, fuck,” he slams in hard. He can feel Louis start to come, spasming around his cock and drawing him in, and his knot forms just before. Liam pushes in and locks them together, Louis’ walls milking him through it as he comes inside of him. “God, yeah. Take it.”

Liam’s grip on Louis’ hips has not loosened, and he pulls him back until they are impossibly close. Not a fraction of an inch between them. The pleasure thrums through Liam’s body as he continues to come, pumping his hips shallowly into Louis. He can hear Louis making soft, satisfied sounds that echo his deeper ones. Louis’ hips continue to circle and fuck back onto him as Liam reaches around to wrap a hand around both Louis and Harry’s spent cocks. Louis has let his body droop forward. After a moment to breathe, he and Harry are kissing once again. Louis’ eyes are closed as he continues releasing little moans. In between their kisses he and Harry lock eyes, and Harry reaches a hand up, pushing his fingers against Liam’s lips. Liam’s tongue lolls out and sucks the come off his fingers, tasting, savoring.

Louis will need another knot shortly after Liam’s, but for now he continues to spill into him, kissing and nipping at his neck. He smooths his other hand over Louis’ chest, scratching down lightly just to feel him shudder. Liam does feel, in most ways, blissfully calm.

~*~

By the time they hit late afternoon on the following day, Liam can tell that they’ve gotten Louis through the peak of his heat. His fingers don’t tremor as much, his voice not as raspy and broken as it once was, and the smell of him has settled into something that is closer to his normal scent. That doesn’t mean, however, that he doesn’t still need to be satisfied.

Liam’s mouth is buried deep into the crease of Louis’ ass, slick and his own come, mixed with the remnants of Harry’s before his, dripping down his chin and neck. Louis is chasing his high, fucking down onto his face and riding him hard, gripping the headboard for leverage as it knocks into the wall in time with the roll of Louis’ hips. Liam grips his thighs to encourage him, urge him faster. Harry, meanwhile, is currently deepthroating Liam for the third time in the past twelve hours. Liam’s right on the edge, fucking up into Harry’s mouth and moaning into Louis.

He feels Louis’ hole clench around his tongue like a vice at the added vibration, letting out a beautiful string of _oh, oh, oh_ ’s, and when Liam twists his tongue in deeper, an exclamation of _fuck, yes!_ He comes completely untouched, cock shooting white over the headboard, pillows, and onto Liam’s cheek. Liam tips over the edge as well, cock popping half of a knot as he comes down Harry’s throat, fucking himself between his plush lips, hips floating off of the mattress. Louis continues to ride his face, taking any and all of the pleasure that he wants from Liam’s mouth. Harry sucks him from base to tip once more before pulling off, and Liam can hear him grunt twice, knows that he has just come as well.

In the slowing movements and whisper of sheets that follows Liam closes his eyes and lets his muscles relax. He sinks into the bed and just lets the moment soak into him like sunshine, golden and lovely but always shifting.

~*~

Liam is beginning to doze off, somehow wrapped in the duvet on the floor. Across the suite, Liam can hear Harry and Louis in the bathroom. Harry picked Louis up to carry him there and help clean him up, something that’s needed every now and then throughout the heat. Liam’s eyelids droop closed, Harry must have left the door open for Liam to be able to hear them as well as he is. After a few moments the bathtub begins to fill.

He slips in and out of sleep, but when he reaches a shy kind of consciousness again he can tell that the tub must be filled, as the water is no longer running. And what’s more, Louis and Harry must be in it now because he can hear the water sloshing and Louis’ soft moans along with Harry’s lower ones. He can picture them together now, after so many rounds, Louis with his arms wrapped around Harry’s neck, fingers tangled in his long hair as Harry fucks into him. He thinks he can hear Louis moan at one point something along the lines of, “love you more.”

Blinking slowly before closing his eyes again, Liam couldn’t begin to guess what time it is. He’s sure, however, that whatever candles had been left burning from before are now nothing but small rings of wax. As he slips back under, he imagines wicks burning down to nothing, but a flame still burning. Just another glowing star when held up against the tapestry of the night sky.

~*~

The sunrise on the third day wakes him gently. His muscles are sore and stiff, but as he slowly rolls his body to a sitting position they relax little by little. His skin feels tacky but somehow dry at the same time. He stretches his arms high above his head, feeling his spine breathe a sigh of relief.

The sheets are still damp in some places, but the shadows and sunbeams mingle together and everything looks peaceful rather than disheveled. Harry and Louis are spooning at the far edge of the bed, Louis plastered to Harry’s back with his left arm draped over Harry’s side, his palm resting over Harry’s heart. The duvet covers them from about the knees down, and Harry’s pillow is half off of the bed. Liam reads the scratches and light bruises that cover the different areas of their skin like a book, everything still fresh. The room smells of a faded kind of sex, Harry and Louis’ scents still the most pronounced, with Liam’s lingering beneath them. A soft smile blooms over his features as he looks at them, at the picture they make, even on their sleeping faces Liam can see it all: safety, trust, a love that shines. They’ve given him a lot to think about.

The pleasant exhaustion that rides on his shoulders like a cape seems to whisper in his ear. It tells him that he knows now, what he truly wants, who he really needs, what he needs to do to get there.

He finds his sweats in a bundled heap, pulls his phone out from the pocket, and walks to the doorway of the balcony. He pulls a peach colored drape aside, just peeking out at the skyline. Rose gold light reflects off of the rooftops. The stars are still shining, their glows winking away in the soft hues of daybreak

The line rings three times before he picks up.

“Hi,” Liam’s voice rasps into the silent morning. “I’m ready.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! You can help spread the word about this fic by reblogging [this](http://darkerwings.tumblr.com/post/175916752189/dawnlight-at-dusk-13k-by-darkerwings) tumblr post, and by leaving kudos and comments here on ao3. Again, thank you and I hope you enjoyed!


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